REVIEWS
“First-time novelist Wolfe writes with lacerating precision and authenticity…. In a fictional counterpart to Dawn Turner’s memoir, Three Girls from Bronzeville, Wolfe’s deeply compelling characters, sharply wrought settings, and tightly choreographed plot create a concentrated, significant, and unforgettable tale of family, home, racism, trauma, compassion, and transcendence.”
Booklist⭐️
(Starred Review)
“Tragic, hopeful, brimming with love, Wolfe’s debut is a remarkable achievement. “
The New York Times
“Wolfe’s arresting and atmospheric narrative comes fully realized. This is a gut punch.”
Publishers Weekly⭐️
(Starred Review)
“Last Summer on State Street is a triumph, a beautiful ode to the humanity, complexity, and compassion of people in a community too often defined by pathologies. You will root for the brave and surefooted Felicia, Precious, Stacia, and Tonya, as well as their families—all striving amid the rubble. What a lovely debut told with warmth, grace, and a piercing affection.”
Dawn Turner, author of Three Girls from Bronzeville
“Last Summer on State Street is a beautifully observed portrait of family and female friendship. Toya Wolfe is a marvelous writer; her deft storytelling and keen understanding makes her debut novel a great pleasure to read.”
Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author of The Time Traveler’s Wife
'Last Summer on State Street is a love letter to girlhood, the tenuous bonds of friendship, and the places we call home. As a daughter of Chicago's South Side, this novel took me inside a community I just passed by, but didn't truly see. Wolfe dazzles in this intimate portrait of race, grief, and the times in our lives that shape who we become.'
Nancy Johnson,
author of The Kindest Lie
'Toya Wolfe is a storyteller of the highest order—a wise and compassionate chronicler of girlhood, of Chicago, and of the things that make us human. Last Summer on State Street is a stunning debut.'
Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Believers
“Last Summer on State Street is an ode to Black girls who are often forgotten. Toya Wolfe tells a compelling, warm, and funny story about a group of girls growing up in a Chicago public housing development. Wolfe delves into their lives with tenderness and care. Despite how outsiders may see their community, Wolfe lets us in to see the girls’ innocence—and their struggles.”
Natalie Y. Moore,
Author of The Billboard
“I can’t stop thinking of Toya Wolfe’s novel Last Summer on State Street. Filled with both tenderness and tragedy, this moving tale of friendship and family pulls us into a corner of America too long neglected and scorned. Wolfe writes with such grace and such restraint, I felt like I was sitting on the front porch listening to a story told by a friend. What a spectacular debut.”
Alex Kotlowitz, author of An American Summer